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As Atticus says, “They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions … but before I can live with other folks, I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” Thus, you are the only person who can tell you how to think, act, and live your life. Allow your morals and values to guide you.
Courage isn’t about winning fights.
Scout gets into a fight at school over Atticus’ work. In speaking to his daughter about the incident, he stresses how resisting the urge to fight is braver than throwing punches. “You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change,” Atticus tells Scout. It’s more noble to fight with your mind than your fists.
It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.
Always protect those who are innocent. As Atticus Finch says, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” In today’s world, we need to be kind to others and stand up for what is right. Far too often, innocent people are bullied and shamed. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is an absolute classic. Even if you’ve read the novel, I suggest rereading it because, sometimes, you have to look twice to find the deeper messages! And these are but a few.
Reading is extremely important.
In the novel, Scout admits she took reading for granted. She says, “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” Atticus is an avid reader and ensured his children were strong and capable readers as well. Reading is a timeless form of education and a great way to cultivate wisdom.
HE’S SO FINED
Harrison’s Plagiarism Saga
the rights to both songs. Bright Tunes rejected the offer, and the case went to court. The judge found Harrison guilty of “subconscious plagiarism” in 1976 and ordered him to pay lost royalties. But Klein had a ruthless reputation and made an unexpected move. Having been fired by Harrison in 1973, Klein began pursuing a purchase of Bright Tunes on his own starting around 1975. By 1978, Klein owned the catalog and had effectively switched sides in the case, leaving Harrison stunned. It took several more years of legal wrangling (the case was finally resolved in 1998!), but in 1981, Klein sold Harrison “He’s So Fine” for $587,000. Many experts declared that price to be a steal. Despite the public spectacle, Harrison had few regrets about his copycat hit. “I don’t feel bad or guilty about it,” he wrote in his autobiography. “It saved many a heroin addict’s life. I know the motive behind writing the song in the first place far exceeds the legal hassle.” In fact, the ordeal served as inspiration for his tongue-in-cheek single, “This Song,” released in 1976 — proving that a good artist can find inspiration anywhere.
In November 1970, George Harrison released his first solo single and biggest hit, “My Sweet Lord.” The song shot to No. 1 internationally and achieved the rare feat of bringing religious devotion to the pop charts. Only one problem arose — despite what the record label said, George Harrison didn’t write it. “He’s So Fine” was written by Ronnie Mack and recorded by The Chiffons only seven years earlier. It became a hit in its own right, with Billboard ranking it as the fifth-biggest single of 1963. Though Harrison had dramatically rearranged the song and written new lyrics, the similarities between “He’s So Fine” and “My Sweet Lord” were undeniable to even the casual listener. Despite Harrison’s lyric that “it takes so long,” the song’s owner, Bright Tunes, wasted no time filing a plagiarism lawsuit in February 1971. It also didn’t take Harrison long to realize his mistake. In fact, the “quiet Beatle” later confessed to the similarities in his book “I Me Mine,” asking, “Why didn’t I realize?” Harrison’s manager, Allen Klein, thought he could make the matter go away by throwing money at it. He suggested that the wealthy Harrison buy Bright Tunes so that he would own
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